Mrs. Mears, Coach Wells & Mrs. Innis- Daisy Morantes- Junior

I appreciate all of the teachers and staff at my high school, and I want to thank all of them for teaching us and making sure we get the education we need. But who I want to thank the most is Mrs. Mears because she has inspired me to love writing again and to become more creative with my writing, as well. She’s a great English teacher and Yearbook teacher. She has such a creative mindset and her ideas for the yearbook this year are so intelligent and fun, and I believe many people in the community will enjoy the yearbook this year. Mrs. Mears is really passionate about her job, and it shows. Even when she’s extremely busy, she always has time to listen to her students, and we appreciate her, and her hard work so much. I hope she knows her hard work is paying off and that we are thankful for having her as a teacher. 

Coach Wells is also another teacher that I appreciate because even though he hasn’t been at this campus for too long, he has gotten close with all of his students. We appreciate his silliness and great stories that he tells us in class. He’s a hard working teacher, pastor, and coach. He’s always making jokes with us, and it’s good to have a laugh. He’ll also give us his speeches about life and advice for the future. In general, he’s a great teacher to joke around with, and he will always make sure you’re on track. Many athletes appreciate him, as well, because he was an assistant defensive coach, golf coach, girls’ basketball coach, and track coach. Many athletes have appreciated his hard work and dedication that he puts into all the sports.

The last teacher I want to thank and appreciate is Mrs. Innis because I’m not the best at math, but she teaches well, and she’s also a great person to talk to. She has helped me with my Algebra work, and has seen most of us grow up and graduate. She’s a great comfort person to talk to and very understanding, as well. All these teachers have great qualities and are the best teachers you can have. They do their best, and are very smart and intelligent people. I’m very grateful to have them here at our school campus and getting to know them throughout the years have been great. It’s great to have teachers you can talk to and be yourself around, and I hope they know we appreciate them so much at Itasca High School.

Mr. Looper- April Battleson- Junior

Teacher appreciation day is a great time to honor our favorite teachers, and the work they do for us. Sure, this year has been tough on us all, but believe it or not, teachers are not the enemy. One teacher who does a great job of making this apparent is Mr. Looper.

Mr. Looper teaches Graphic Design, Principles of Art and Photography. In his classes, students learn how to create and design things using various computer programs, and how to take interesting pictures that meet certain requirements. We also learn about different photographers and their work, and how it can affect the work we do in class. In his room there are lots of computers and technology for everyone to enjoy and learn with. Mr. Looper is a pretty chill teacher, but he is able and ready to discipline students with no hesitation. He is a great teacher because he makes whatever it is that we are learning interesting, and when you do not understand it, he will try to explain it to you in a simple, understandable manor. His classroom is (usually) a relaxed environment where completing assignments and learning is made easier than every other class. 

Mr. Looper’s real name is Ryan Keith Moore Looper, and he was born at Hugely hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. His birthday is February 4th, 1986, and his role model growing up was his father. Mr. Looper grew up in Cleburne, Texas and went to Cleburne High School where he also graduated. After high school he went to college at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. Mr. Looper attended college for Music Business due to his lifelong fascination with sound design. Mr. Looper of course now works at Itasca High School in Itasca, Texas. The reason he choose this school is because it is close to where he lives, and it allows him to develop his skills as an educator. Mr. Looper would describe himself in three words as “Creative, Determined, and Passionate.” An interesting fact about Mr. Looper that most people are oblivious to is the fact that he has been playing the saxophone since 2004 when he was 18. His hobbies consist of playing video games, listening to music, and watching TV. He has a few cats as pets, and if he was not a teacher he would be working in film audio. This is Mr. Looper’s first year as a teacher, and his role models are his co workers.

Mr. Looper is not only a great teacher, but also a great guy in general. He may seem shy, but he can actually be pretty cool. Mr. Looper may say that he is not friends with any of his students, but it is easy to see there are some that he likes the most, specifically in his 5th period class.

In conclusion, Mr. Looper is a really great teacher that everyone should get to know.

Jamie Rodriguez- Makala Rodriguez- Junior

Teacher Appreciation week is approaching quickly. Teachers are some of the most important people in our lives. They help us learn and also inspire us to be the best version of ourselves. Without these teachers we would not be able to achieve goals we wanted to and reach our full potential. So to sum up what teacher appreciation week is, it is where we send thank you notes and letters to our teachers that have given all of their time and effort to be at school and teach us the things we need to know for the real world. This is one way to make sure that teachers know they are very much appreciated and loved so they know that they are using their time wisely here teaching us different kinds of subjects. We like to choose a teacher and interview them so we can write an appreciation letter or paper about them and thank them for everything that they do at the school.

 The teacher I chose for teacher appreciation week is Jamie Rodriguez, my mom. She is a reading specialist, where she helps the kids that have some difficulties.  She is the wife to Daniel Rodriguez, and the mother to Madison, Macie, and I. She was an aide for a long time before she became a teacher and did her education while being an aide. She then taught first grade and later on was a teacher for some time as a second grade teacher in the elementary school, then she had later on moved to being a reading specialist that is still in the elementary school. 

She became a teacher because she wanted to help kids get ready for the real world, and to help guide them to a path so they can get to where they might want to go in the future. She likes to be able to see the kids make connections when working together and loves helping them. She also has just personally made a big impact on me and many others, not just because she is my mom but I have seen all the stuff she goes through to make sure kids reach their full potential. Most of her life is focused on school and helping kids learn and grow, not many people can do that and still focus on their own life so that is one thing that really amazes me and inspires me to do things to help others. 

Thank you so much for all that you do for the school and kids. You have made a real difference and a huge impact on these kids’ lives, not only theirs but mine also. I never had you as a teacher but you definitely would have been a great teacher for me. I’m glad other kids are able to have you as their teacher.